Pond Waterfall Structure

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While you can purchase a ready-to-install waterfall for your backyard pond, a pond you make yourself usually blends in better with the natural landscape. Once you understand the main components of a pond waterfall structure, you can construct one for your pond. Determine the dimensions of the waterfall and add as many falls and rapids as you wish.

Design

The waterfall structure can be any size you want, but it does need to have the proper slope so the water flows naturally from the top of the waterfall into the pond. For a quiet, peaceful waterfall, allow a 2-inch drop per 10 feet of stream. Making the grade steeper adds more sound to the waterfall. A 10-inch or greater drop on any level can help reduce street noises. Place the waterfall where you can both see and hear it from your favorite seating area. The waterfall needs electricity to operate, so choose a spot close to an outdoor electrical outlet.

Pools and Rapids

The uppermost pool of water is the header pool. It is usually the deepest pool in the waterfall. As water flows out of the header pool, it drops into a series of secondary pools. If you prefer, you can make the secondary pools shallow enough that water flowing through them resembles rapids. As the water flows down the levels of the waterfall, it finishes its cycle in the main pond. As you build the waterfalls, make the holes for the ponds deeper than you intend. You will be adding rocks to create a natural appearance.

Liner and Underlayment

Once you create the general outline of the pools and waterfalls, you can cover the area with an underlayment to protect the liner. Recycle old newspapers, carpet padding, cardboard and insulation for the project. Liners made of butyl rubber and ethylene propylene diene monomer, or EPDM, provide a long-lasting, flexible basin for the water feature. Lay the liner in position, then cover it with a variety of rocks to create a natural-looking water feature. You’ll need approximately 1/2 ton of gravel for each 10 feet of waterfall. To avoid algae growth, do not use limestone.

Pump

The pump you select needs to be powerful enough to handle the total amount of water in the upper and lower basin when the waterfall isn’t in operation. To determine the volume, multiply the length times the width times the depth of each pool and add the two together. The main portion of the submersible pump goes in the main pool near the lower end of the waterfall. A flexible delivery pipe attached to the pump delivers water pumped from the main pool to the header pool. Once the pump is operational, you can cover the delivery pipe with rocks to hide it.

About the Author

Denise Brown is an education professional who wanted to try something different. Two years and more than 500 articles later, she's enjoying her freelance writing experience for online resources such as Work.com and other online information sites. Brown holds a master's degree in history education from Truman State University.